


After Dark

by monochromevelyn



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot, One-Sided Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-10
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:07:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22649137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/monochromevelyn/pseuds/monochromevelyn
Summary: It was one of those days.Hinata ran out of things to distract himself, so he simply picked a corner in his bedroom and sat there hugging his knees in the dark, hoping the whitewashed wall would swallow him whole and spit him back after he feel a bit better..Hinata was homesick in Brazil. Kenma did something to cheer him up.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma
Comments: 7
Kudos: 109





	After Dark

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything for the past 5 years because of work and I'm glad the latest update in Haikyuu! manga finally pushed me back into writing! The KenHina really jumped out yo thank you Haruichi Furudate-sama for this blessings. Just couldn’t resist the temptation to write something for these soft boys, especially after the time jump development.

It was one of those days.

Hinata ran out of things to distract himself, so he simply picked a corner in his bedroom and sat there hugging his knees in the dark, hoping the whitewashed wall would swallow him whole and spit him back after he feel a bit better. The crispy salmon skin he brought didn’t last him as long as he had expected, being the only cure to his homesickness he finished it within 3 weeks of his arrival in Rio. There was no one he really knew, and his roommate wasn’t much of a conversationalist either. Even if Pedro was someone talkative, the language barrier would have limited their interaction. The food was different, the culture was different. Beach volleyball was misleading; it wasn’t really the same volleyball played in court that he had come to vigorously love. His mind systematically ran through all the food and the places and the people he left behind in Japan. It was a hard fact to swallow – Hinata really missed home.

After some time sitting in silence, he fished out his phone out of his pocket and scrolled through the messages log. Kenma, Natsu, his mother, Tanaka. There was one from Sugawara too, asking if he was doing okay and told him everyone back at home missed him. Obviously Hinata had told Suga everything was going great, he didn’t want Suga to worry about him too much. He scrolled down further through texts exchange with Yachi, with Nishinoya, with Bokutou even. At the bottom of the log was a text from his former partner, Kageyama.

**FROM: KAGEYAMA TOBIO**

**RE: GOOD LUCK**

_All the best in Brazil, you little runt. It was a sudden news, but I know you had to do it. I hope one day our path will cross again. Till next time._

It was heartbreaking no matter how many times Hinata re-read it. That was it. Three years together through all the hard work and sweats, it ended just like that. Unrequited as it was, as an optimist, Hinata had believed in the shred glimmer of hope that they could make it together in the national stage as a killer combo. But the stage shed more light on Kageyama – he was the more promising one of the two – and not bogged down by feelings, Kageyama chose the solo stage instead of maintaining their partnership; this hopeless relationship where only one of them had a feeling for the other. Hinata did not blame him.

With one hand wiping away tears that were threatening to escape his eyes, Hinata scrolled back up to an unopened text from Kozume Kenma.

**FROM: KOZUME KENMA**

**RE: JUST CHECKING**

_Hey Shoyo, how are you? I know I asked this already last week but being abroad away from home is rough (that’s what my online friends keep telling me) and I just need to know if you’re okay. Let me know if you need anything shipped from Japan. – x, Kenma_

Hinata was busy with his work today that he had completely forgotten to reply. Kenma was consistently checking in with him from the get-go, and always offered to help. He was even there at the airport with Hinata’s family to send him away to Brazil. His hand was quick to press ‘reply,’ but got stuck on the blank screen, unsure of how to put his feelings into words. When he finally did, he had to bite back his tears. Somehow writing it down made the loneliness even worst.

**FROM: HINATA SHOYO**

**RE: RE: JUST CHECKING**

_Hi Kenma sorry I overlooked your text! I was busy in the afternoon delivering food. My part-time job. You are right, it is rough. I got scolded at work because I got lost and delivered food late. Beach volley is hard, and I’m really bad at it. It’s unlike the volleyball we know at all. When I got back to my room, I found my crispy salmon skin jar empty. You see, I always eat that when I’m feeling down and missing home. And then I made a mistake of going down through my messages log and read Kageyama’s text again and made myself even more sad. It’s ridiculous, really. I kinda wish I have someone I can talk to here. But texting you helps. Thanks for always checking in on me. :’ ) – x, Shoyo_

Not even a minute lapsed when Hinata’s phone light up with a text notification.

**FROM: KOZUME KENMA**

**RE: RE: RE: JUST CHECKING**

_That sucks. Don’t be sad, Shoyo. I’m here for you. Drop me your address so I can send you some more of your favorite salmon skin. – x, Kenma_

A huge grin broke out amidst all the repressed tears. Hinata knew even if everyone turned their backs against him, he’d still have Kenma.

-

**3 DAYS LATER**

It was a slow Sunday; everyone was laid back and took everything easy. That includes the beach volleyball. Nobody took it seriously but Hinata. At the end of the day, there weren’t much improvement in his technique because his little to no skill in beach volleyball was enough to kick everyone else’s asses, because nobody was playing him seriously. By late afternoon, he left to go back to his house. Maybe at times like these it was better to re-watch a game and analyze the gameplay. He was walking up the patio, busy banging his shoes against one another to get rid of the sands when he was stopped dead in his track by a small man wearing a dark hoodie standing in front of his front door with a red suitcase in tow. He’d recognize that black roots with blonde highlights anywhere.

“Kenma!” The smaller man stood no chance: the moment he turned, his eyes widened and registered at what was about to happen, Hinata had already jumped and wrapped his arms and legs tight around him. Kenma fell forward on top of Hinata. Luckily they had fallen on a grassy patch instead of the stone patio, but Hinata was totally unfazed by the pain of the impact. Kenma reciprocated with a loose hold on Hinata and lifted his head to look at the sunshine in a human form through his messy bangs.

“Hey Shoyo,” said Kenma with a tired smile.

“Why are you here?” Hinata was genuinely shocked.

“To cheer up a friend,” Kenma pushed himself up and offered a hand to Hinata. He grasped for it without hesitation. “And to deliver the world’s most precious crispy salmon skin.” His eyes wandered to the large red suitcase. “There’s a whole load of your favorite food in that bag.”

Promptly Hinata’s eyes glistened with tears, looking at the slightly taller man through glassy eyes. Hinata rested his heavy head against his shoulder. Kenma simply pulled him into a warm hug and rubbed circles on his back.

“I’m here for you.”

-

It had been a really long while since it was just the two of them being in each other’s company. They used to do this a couple of times all through high school: visiting each other’s hometown in different prefecture and spending most of their time discussing games, anime and of course volleyball; Kenma lounging on the bed with his head on Hinata’s lap as he played games on Nintendo, Hinata playing with Kenma’s hair as he talked about whatever came across his mind that day. Hinata was happy to talk. He knew Kenma was listening even as his fingers tapped away on the console, only giving short answers when asked. He was the only one Hinata let on in his most intimate secrets, including his romantic feeling for Kageyama and his subsequent heartbreak by the same boy. Kenma never judged. Kenma never interfered. But he was always there, like a solid rock Hinata knew he could hang on to.

Today was different, but it felt almost at home with Kenma by his side. Hinata sat on the sandy beach as he rested his back against a palm tree, Kenma’s head heavy on his lap. The sound of the crashing waves and cool evening air hit differently now that he was with company. He didn’t realize how therapeutic it was just to run his fingers through someone’s hair. It was the closest he had been to other people in months. The sun in the sky had begun to descend, and the crowd started to thin out. The light from the nearby streetlamp sparsely illuminated part of the beach, enough for Hinata to see Kenma’s tired face.

“Why did you decide to come here on a whim? This place is a really long way from home,” asked Hinata as he lightly traced the dark circles on Kenma’s face. “You must be really tired.”

“It is. It took 27 hours of flight with 3 stops for me to get here,” muttered Kenma. He paused his game and placed the console on his chest, closing his eyes.“I’m so tired I can sleep for 3 days straight.”

“You still haven’t told me why, though.”

“I thought I’ve told you before I came.”

Hinata frowned. His fingers had stopped moving. “When?”

“When I told you I was going to send you some food,” said Kenma flatly, his hand reaching for Hinata’s hand to keep on playing with his hair, now more black than blond.

“I thought you were going to send me parcels!”

“It’ll take too long, and by the time it reached here, some of it might spoiled. So I decided to send it myself. My whole suitcase is filled with your favorite food now, I only brought one set of spare clothes to change.”

Hinata stared at Kenma in disbelief. Being socially awkward, Kenma was really good at dodging eye contact when confronted. However, this time Kenma met Hinata’s gaze with unreadable determination in his voice. “I…also don’t want you to feel alone.”

“You of all people never made me feel alone, Kenma,” Hinata’s frown softened into a smile. “If I could give away a medal for your dedication as a friend, you’d run out of space on your jacket to pin the medals.”

“That’s the thing I wanted to sort out in person with you,” Kenma pushed himself up into sitting position next to Hinata. “I don’t want to be your friend.”

“What do you mean by that?” Hinata’s voice trembled, he was more confused than ever. The thought of losing his only confidant could really break him. He just lost Kageyama months ago, he couldn’t bear the thought of losing Kenma now. He just told Hinata that he didn’t want him to feel alone, but why don’t he want to be friends anymore?

“Please, Shoyo don’t cry – I –” panic was audible in Kenma’s voice. His eyes were frantically looking around, thinking of what to do next. “Please, Shoyo. May I?”

Baffled, Hinata nodded. There was no point stopping people who wanted to leave. His brain was in overdrive trying to think of all the faults he had done all these years that made Kenma sick of him. He was too drowned in his thought to realize Kenma hands reached out and held his face and pulled him close. The next thing he knew, Kenma’s lips was pressed against his.

They kissed.

Hinata froze, but as soon as he understood what was going on, he relaxed under Kenma’s touch. His lips felt so soft. It was warm, reassuring and comforting. Hinata felt a tinge of loneliness when Kenma finally decided to pull away, red-faced and slightly out of breath.

“Shoyo, I can’t be your friend anymore because I’m in love with you.” Kenma pressed his forehead against Hinata’s. “I wanted to let you know on the day before you left but I couldn’t get it out. Not in front of your family. I didn’t want to make everyone feel uncomfortable.”

He paused to gather his thoughts and continued. “After Kageyama left I didn’t think he could hurt you anymore. But I was wrong. So I had to be here today to let you know that you are loved.”

Hinata pulled his head back to look Kenma right in the eyes. “How long have you felt this way, Kenma?” 

“Does it really matter?”

“It doesn’t, but I’d like to know.”

Kenma averted his gaze away, his sight was fixated on a baby crab walking away not too far from where they were sitting. “It’s hard to pinpoint on one exact date or event. I’ve always thought of you as someone whom I can freely talk to about anything. The next thing I knew, I’ve shared more of my thoughts with you, more than I’ve ever done with anyone else, including Kuroo. It scared me at first, but I realized I don’t want it to stop.

“Shoyo, when you realize you had a feeling for Kageyama, it was rough. But all I wanted was for you to be happy, I decided to just be a good friend. When things didn’t go well, it broke my heart to see you heartbroken. When you told me re-reading his message can still make you sad, I wish I can do something to stop it. Here I sit in front of you, 18,000km away from home and talk way too much than I’m usual capable of speaking, am not going to force upon you my feelings, but to just let you know you’re not alone. And you are loved.”

Moments passed, Kenma could almost see Hinata’s brain whirring at an impossible speed trying to digest all the information he had presented. Hinata was quiet, but a smile slowly crept onto his face. His gaze softened; dim streetlight reflected on his glistening eyes. “If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have wasted my tears on Kageyama.”

Kenma looked down on his lap. He fidgeted, rubbing his thumb against the opposing palm to calm his nerves. Hinata reached out for his hands, and that made Kenma startled.

“We do this slowly, okay?” Hinata said softly. “We have a lot to figure out, but I’m sure we’ll be alright.”

“You’re not… rejecting me?” Kenma met Hinata in the eyes.

Why would I even do that?” his fingers interlaced with Kenma’s tighter. “Yes, this is a new territory for us. I love you as a friend before, it’s not hard to love you more. The reason Kageyama and I didn’t work out was because I didn’t want to lose our friendship. I kept what I feel for him to myself, and I suffered for that. But you’re braver than me. You and I, we…we are more than that. We’re best boyfriends.”

A slight smile lit up on Kenma’s face. “Shoyo, you’re so sappy. And that’s deep for a simpleton like you.”

“Shu – shut up! You started it,” exclaimed Hinata, his ears were turning visibly red.

Kenma pressed a small peck on Hinata’s cheek with a resigned sigh.

“Keep being interesting, Shoyo. I’m addicted to you.”

-


End file.
